128 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



encouragement of the industrial arts in 

 this country. Founded in 1828, it has 

 for lialf a century had a successful ca- 

 reer. Its growth has been coincident 

 with a most remarkable industrial de- 

 velopment, and its exhibitions during 

 this period have been among the most 

 available means of bringing to the early 

 notice of tlie public the most important 

 and valuable inventions and improve- 

 ments of which this country has been, 

 perhaps, more prolific than any other. 



The forty-ninth exhibition is now 

 being held, and in point of variety and 

 interest of exhibits compares favora- 

 bly with those of preceding years. No 

 remarkable machines or processes are 

 shown, but in several departments there 

 are appliances which are decided ad- 

 vances upon previous constructions. As 

 a whole, the exhibition is well worth a 

 visit, and there is much to be seen there 

 that will repay careful examination. 



POWDER AND BALL FOR DEMA- 

 GOGUES. 



PiiEsiDENT Hayes has been discuss- 

 ing the subject of public education ; 

 and, in his speech at Canton, Ohio, he 

 called attention to the extent, and point- 

 ed out the main sources, of illiteracy 

 among our heterogeneous populations. 

 Ten years ago, he says, there were three 

 quarters of a million of negro voters 

 Avho could not read their ballots, and in 

 this respect things have not improved 

 much since. The Indian tribes which 

 we must soon absorb are equally igno- 

 rant. Half the population of New Mex- 

 ico can not read and write, and, of the 

 enormous immigration from Europe, 

 from twenty to twenty-five per cent, 

 are to the same degree illiterate. Mr. 

 Hayes maintains that it is the duty of 

 the national Government to enter upon 

 the great work of public education with 

 the view of qualifying all these incom- 

 petent citizens, present and prospective, 

 for the proper exercise of the right of 

 suffrage. 



In referring to these various classes 

 of persons, Mr. Hayes uses the terms 

 "illiteracy," "ignorance," and "un- 

 able to read and write " interchange- 

 ably or as equivalents ; that is, the 

 " ignorance " of which he speaks seems 

 to be that grade of incapacity or illit- 

 erateness which is indicated by inabil- 

 ity to read and write. We are left to 

 infer that this is the ignorance which 

 he considers dangerous to the state, and 

 which it is therefore the duty of the 

 national Government to remove. We 

 assume that this is the sort of ignorance 

 which Mr. Hayes means when he says, 

 "In our own country, as everywhere 

 else, it will be found that in the long 

 run ignorant voters are powder and 

 ball for demagogues." 



Are we to conclude, then, that in the 

 belief of President Hayes, if the negroes, 

 Indians, immigrants, and illiterate peo- 

 ple generally are taught to read and 

 write, American demagogues will be de- 

 prived of their ammunition, and repub- 

 lican government placed upon an en- 

 during foundation ? Does Mr. Hayes 

 think that the real danger to popular 

 institutions in this country comes from 

 the presence of those who are unable 

 to read their ballots? Certainly the 

 most dangerous class in the communi- 

 ty is the demagogues themselves, and 

 these can not only read and write, but 

 they are commonly educated men. Nor 

 is this all ; they are the dangerous ene- 

 mies of republican institutions by virtue 

 of that education which gives them com- 

 mand of the means of mischief. And 

 as it is by education that they are quali- 

 fied for the skillful practice of their 

 vicious arts, so it will be found that a 

 certain amount of education on the part 

 of their victims is necessary to bring 

 them within the full range of demagogi- 

 cal influence. It is not the illiterate 

 classes by any means that are most mis- 

 led and cheated by the demagogues. It 

 is those who can read the newspapers 

 and campaign documents that are most 

 openly accessible to the flatteries, de- 



